Working and Pregnant? How to Max Your Maternity Leave

Paid maternity leave is generous throughout many countries of the world. Sadly, the United States is not among them. In fact, the United States is the only industrialized government that does not support paid parental leave.

With an average of only 13 percent of professionals in the U.S. having access to paid parental leave, and with 33 percent taking no official time off at all, U.S. moms are having to advocate for themselves to maximize their maternity leave.

Regardless of if you are working in a flexible role, part-time, full-time, in a job share, or even working from home, you are going to need adequate time off with your new baby. How do you know how much time off is enough, and how can you negotiate better terms with your employer?

Pat Katepoo, founder of WorkingSolutions.com, explains her three-step process for asking for more maternity leave from your boss.

Read on for three ways in which you can max your maternity leave without jeopardizing your job:

Start your maternity leave planning early during your first trimester.

Present a written maternity leave proposal during your third trimester.

Negotiate leave terms that surpass the policy, whether there is one or not.

In the U.S., maternity leave is often comprised of sick leave, paid vacation, unpaid leave, short-term disability leave, and the all-too-uncommon paid parental leave. In many cases, this combination falls painfully short of the time mothers need and want with their babies. Bonding, breastfeeding, and even behavior are influenced by the degree of mother-infant contact in the early months. Most would agree that a maternity leave longer than the often-typical six weeks is healthier for mother and baby. And too few get it.

What are your options when your employer’s current maternity leave policy falls short? The answer: anything that’s not on their maternity leave menu. In other words, view your employer’s policy as a starting point for what’s possible, not as the only set-in-stone option, and prepare to ask for more. If you recognize your options, prepare your case for requesting them, and present a proposal in a professional manner, it’s likely you’ll get better leave terms than what your employer offers.

Using this approach, thousands of users of the Max Your Maternity Leave planner and proposal template have reported, since its initial release in 2003, that they successfully negotiated four weeks of paid leave from small employers who had no leave policy in place. Others shared their experience in getting 12 paid weeks as opposed to the traditionally offered six. These stories and more highlight the power of smart negotiation to max your maternity leave.

Remember to view your employer’s maternity leave policy as a starting point for negotiating something better and you will be well on your way to enjoying more time off with your new baby.

Readers, how have you maximized your maternity leave time. Did you use any negotiating techniques with your employer? Share with our members in the comments below!